Exclusive US Coverage: President Biden Announces $3.3bn AI Data Centre in Wisconsin

President Joe Biden delivers on promise of new facility in Racine, Wisconsin after Foxconn plant never materialized

Nearly six years after former President Donald Trump promised Racine, Wisconsin residents a chip factory operated by Taiwanese semiconductor giant Foxconn, President Joe Biden announced the construction of a $3.3 billion artificial intelligence data center on the site where the planned Foxconn plant never materialized.

The data center, owned and operated by Microsoft, is set to employ 2,300 unionized workers during the construction phase and will eventually need 2,000 permanent workers at the facility. The location of the facility, Racine, was once a manufacturing powerhouse until job losses occurred due to globalization and manufacturing slowdowns.

Trump’s promise of an industrial renaissance during his time in office fell short, as the planned Foxconn fabrication facility never came to fruition, leaving a vacant site and broken promises. Biden blamed “trickle-down economics” favored by Trump for the decline in employment in Racine and similar areas.

During his visit to Wisconsin, Biden highlighted the job growth seen since he took office in 2021, creating 178,000 jobs compared to the 83,500 who left the state during Trump’s term. He emphasized his administration’s “Investing in America agenda” and promised that the job growth seen so far is only the beginning.

The president’s appearance in Wisconsin was a direct rebuke to Trump, who was expected to spend the day in Florida meeting with supporters. The White House stated that Biden’s visit to Racine showcased his commitment to investing in places historically overlooked by the previous administration’s policies.

Overall, Biden’s visit to Wisconsin highlighted his administration’s efforts to grow the economy from the middle-out and bottom-up, unleashing private sector investment in industries of the future such as AI, clean energy, and semiconductors.